Holder for underwater anode



Jan. 8, 1957 E. A. WAGNER 2,775,941

HOLDER FOR UNDERWATER ANODE Filed Feb. 25. 1954 INVENTQR ERNEgT WAGNERBY u 0 NEY he, a.

United States Patent fifice 2,776,941 Patented Jan. 8, 1957 7 2,776,941HOLDER FOR UNDERWATER ANODE Ernest A. Wagner, Cleveland, Ohio, assignorto Union gargide and Carbon Corporation, a corporation of NewApplication February 25, 1954, Serial No. 412,555

2 Claims. (Cl. 204-196) This invention relates to the mounting ofunderwater anodes upon the metal hull of a ship and has for an object toprovide a simple and inexpensive device of this sort which oflers lessresistance to movement of the ship than have prior devices, and which isadapted to have the supply conductor for the anodes carried eitherthrough the hull or along the outside of the hull. Another object is toenable such a supply conductor to enter an anode holder in alignmenttherewith, provide a point of connection with the anode lead, and passbetween the anode holder and an outer surface of the hull, and out theopposite end of the holder from that at which the conductor entered theholder.

This invention is an improvement upon that in the prior invention andapplication of I. P. Oliver, Serial No. 400,243, filed December 24, 1953for Mounting for Underwater Anode for Ships Hull.

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of thisinvention as viewed from the outer side of the ship and through thewater. Fig. 2 is a section one the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asection on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 exemplifies another embodimentof this invention in which the supply conductor passes through the outerplate of the hull.

As shown in Fig. 1 a pair of anodes and 11 are longitudinally spaced asubstantial distance, depending on the length of the ship, as describedin the aforementioned application of J. P. Oliver.

Secured to the outer plates 12 of the ship are the anode holders 13. Asupply conductor 14 for the anodes enters the holder 13 as shown in Fig.2 through the conduit 15, passes beneath the bottom of the anode holderand out the opposite end of the holder in substantial alignmenttherewith. A branch conductor 16 leads from the conductor 14 to someappropriate type of connection with the anode 10. Having the bottom 17of the anode holder spaced from the outside of the hull enables theconductor 14 to be passed between the bottom 17 and outside of the hull12. As shown in the drawing this conductor 14 is insulation covered andthe ends of the anode holder containing the conductors 14 and 16 may befilled with some appropriate plastic insulating material shown only onthe left side in Fig. 2. This insulating material may extend beneath thebottom 17 and into and through the conduits 15. In any case the juncture28 between conductors 14 and 16 must be sealed with an insulatingmaterial.

Next to the carbonaceous anode 10 is a sheet 18 ofpolytetrafluoroethylene known as Teflon. This Teflon has been foundinert to chlorine and any other deposition products of electrolysis ofsea water. Such Teflon sheet may extend above the top of the anodeholder if desired on one or more sides to lengthen the path of currentflow from the anode to the ships hull and thus tend to make the currentdensity more nearly uniform than it might otherwise be. A layer ofresilient rubber 19 is placed outside the Teflon l8 and between it andthe sides of the anode holder 13 for the purpose of taking up any shockor jar which might otherwise tend to fracture the anode.

Projecting outward from the bottom 17 of the holder 13 are a pair ofstuds 20 threaded as illustrated and welded in place for the purpose ofretaining the plugs 21 for holding the anode 10 within its holder. Theseplugs are also preferably of an inert insulating material such as theTeflon which may be threaded on to the studs 2%. The top surface of theplugs may be provided with a slot 22 for a screwdriver to aid inloosening the plugs. As shown in the drawing of Figs. 2 and 3 the upperportion of the plug is bevelled at 23 to tightly fit within acorresponding bevel in the anode so that when the plug is tightlyscrewed in place the tight fit between the plug head and the bevelledrecess in the anode is suflicient to keep out sea water. To guardagainst the plugs being accidentally loosened a pin 24 of cement,Teflon, or other inert insulating material or graphite is located toprevent rotation of the bushing on the studs while the pin is in place.

The longitudinal ends of the holder 13 are inclined at 25 to lessen theresistance offered by the anode holder to the motion of the ship. Whilethe bottom 17 of the anode holder is spaced from the outer surface ofthe hull nevertheless the sides and ends of the holder 13 are welded tothe hull as shown by the welds 26 which extend continuously around thebase of the holder in a manner to keep water out from the space betweenthe outer surface of the hull and the bottom 17 of the holder. 'In eachembodiment at least one end of each holder is provided with a removablecover 27 located in the inclined end portion 25. Upon removal of thiscover 27 access is obtained to conductors 14 and 16 for purposes ofmechanically clamping or soldering them after the anode 10, withattached conductor 16, has been installed in the holder 13. To reducethe danger of the connection between the main and branch conductors 14and 16 becoming loosened, such connection is preferably soldered at 28.

The same design of anode holder as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 can beadapted to anode installations which have the current supply conductor29 passing directly through the hull of the ship. This is shown inFigure 4. The openings provided for conduit 15 (Fig. 2) at each end ofthe casting are closed by welding in plugs 15a. Passage of the cablethrough the hull can be sealed by conventional means such as collet-typeseal or standard stufiing box. The space around the conductor within theends of the anode holder can be filled with an appropriate plasticinsulating material, not shown.

Among the advantages of this invention may be emphasized the spacing ofthe bottom 17 of the anode holder from the hull plate 12 for the purposeof allowing an insulated conductor 14 to pass between them, while thesides and ends of this holder 13 are sealed in place to preclude theentry of sea water. The anode holder of this invention may be ofstandard size for use on a ship of any size and length.

The mounting studs 20 are already accurately located and welded in placein the factory to the holder bottom 17. The mounting holes in the anodeare located and drilled in the factory so as to insure alignment withthe centers of the mounting studs. Providing the anode holder with abottom on which to attach the mounting studs 20 makes it unnecessary todrill and tap holes in the hull to mount the studs and thereby thepossibility of causing a leak in the hull is precluded. In addition toproviding a passage for the supply conductor, the spacing of the anodeholder bottom 17 from the hull plate 12 makes it possible to maintainclose contact between the base of the holder and the hull surface aroundthe entire periphery of the base where it is welded to the hull at 26(Fig. 2) even when the hull surface is curved especially in a verticaltransverse plane or when it is necessary to mount the holder over hullareas where rivet heads protrude. The conductor cable 16 is attached tothe anode by conventional means at the factory. Due to the relativelyfragile nature of the graphite anode and this cable connection the anodewith cable attached is shipped in a package which protects againstbreakage. Similar precautions are not necessary for the anode holder.After the holder has been welded to the ship the insulating elements 18and 19 are put in place and the anode with the lead wire is inserted inthe holder. It is then only necessary to tighten the plugs on the studsand insert the locking pins 24 to secure the anode in place.

I claim:

1. An underwater anode mounting on a metallic ships 'hull comprising ametal holder having a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls, and abottom wall united in the form of an anode receptacle, a carbon anodeinsulatingly resiliently disposed in said receptacle, an extension legat the bottom end of each of saidside walls, an inclined leg at theupper end of each of said end walls, said extension legs and inclinedlegs being fixedly attached to said hull and defining an enclosedclearance space between said receptacle bottom and said hull, a studsecured to the bottom of said receptacle and insulatingly retaining saidanode therein, and perforated access means communicating with saidclearance space and said carbon anode for the introduction of a supplyconductor lead, said mounting being adapted to receive therethrough saidlead and to accommodate a portion of said lead in the clearance spacebetween said receptacle bottom and said hull.

2. An underwater anode mounting according to claim 1, at least one ofsaid inclined legs having a removable cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS510,900 Cutten Dec. 19, 1893

1. AN UNDERWATER ANODE MOUNTING ON A METALLIC SHIP''S HULL COMPRISING AMETAL HOLDER HAVING A PAIR OF SIDE WALLS, A PAIR OF END WALLS, AND ABOTTOM WALL UNITED IN THE FORM OF AN ANODE RECEPTACLE, A CARBON ANODEINSULATINGLY RESILIENTLY DISPOSED IN SAID RECEPTACLE, AN EXTENSION LEGAT THE BOTTOM END OF EACH OF SAID SIDE WALLS, AN INCLINED LEG AT THEUPPER END OF EACH OF SAID END WALLS, SAID EXTENSION LEGS AND INCLINEDLEGS BEING FIXEDLY ATTACHED TO SAID HULL AND DEFINING AN ENCLOSEDCLEARANCE SPACE BETWEEN SAID RECEPTACLE BOTTOM AND SAID HULL, A STUDSECURED TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID RECEPTACLE AND INSULATINGLY RETAINING SAIDANODE THEREIN, AND PERFORATED ACCESS MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAIDCLEARANCE SPACE AND SAID CARBON ANODE FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF A SUPPLYCONDUCTOR LEAD, SAID MOUNTING BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THERETHROUGH SAIDLEAD AND TO ACCOMMODATE A PORTION OF SAID LEAD IN THE CLEARANCE SPACEBETWEEN SAID RECEPTACLE BOTTOM AND SAID HULL.